Fluid handling – With casing – support – protector or static constructional... – Guards and shields
Reexamination Certificate
2000-07-03
2001-06-19
Lee, Kevin (Department: 3753)
Fluid handling
With casing, support, protector or static constructional...
Guards and shields
C220S727000, C220S728000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06247491
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to safety covers for valves on compressed gas cylinders to inhibit access to the valves, and in particular, to a cover secured over the valve of a compressed gas cylinder used for barbecues in order to prevent manipulation of the compressed gas valve by a child, for example, who may turn on the gas when the appliance is not to be ignited.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
High pressure gas cylinders store industrial and welding gases, carbon dioxide, oxygen, propane, nitrogen, argon, freon, helium, hydrogen, etc. It is also popular to use high pressure gas cylinders for domestic purposes, such as propane gas cylinders for barbecues. Such cylinders are normally installed on the barbecue ready for use. In such installations the valve is exposed and may be opened without lighting the appliance. Consequently, children may inadvertently turn on the gas. If gas is supplied to a barbecue when it is not lit, the gas can leak into the atmosphere, potentially creating a very hazardous situation.
There is therefore a need for a safety cover for use with the shut-off valve on a compressed gas cylinder to protect against access to the valve. Safety covers for use with shut-off valves on compressed gas cylinders are known and described in the prior art.
For example, Griffin in U.S. Pat. No. 4,678,003, entitled SAFETY CAP FOR VALVE ON HIGH-PRESSURE CYLINDER, which issued on Jul. 7, 1987, describes a safety cap for protecting against damage and tampering of the shut-off valve of a high pressure gas cylinder. The cylinder has a threaded neck, such as an acetylene or oxygen cylinder for welding. The safety cap is connected to the neck by a threaded base, which engages the male threaded neck ring of the gas cylinder. A shield for the valve is hingedly connected to opposite sides of the base member. The shield may be closed over the valve and secured in a closed position by positive-lock hinged clamps which engage slots formed in the shield halves.
Another example is described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,352,370 which is entitled PRESSURE VESSEL VALVE HOUSING, issued Oct. 5, 1982 to Childress. This patent describes a valve housing for a gas tank, such as a welding gas tank that includes a pressure regulator. The cover is designed to inhibit tampering and/or illegal appropriation of gas from the cylinder. A clamp strap surrounds a top of the tank and one half of the housing is mounted to the strap. The opposite half of the housing is hingedly mounted to the first half and a hasp mounted to the second half permits a padlock to be inserted through the strap to lock the housing in a closed condition.
The safety covers described above are designed for use with industrial equipment and are therefore unsuited for domestic use with propane cylinders. Consequently, there exists a need for a safety cover for the valve of a propane cylinder designed for use to supply fuel gas to a barbecue. Preferably, the safety cover inhibits access to the valve without reliance on locks or other complex mechanisms that tend to discourage use in a domestic environment.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is therefore an object of the invention to provide a childproof cover for use with a compressed gas cylinder having a shut-off valve to inhibit children from accessing the valve.
It is another object of the invention to provide a childproof cover for a shut-off valve on a compressed gas cylinder that can be fabricated at low cost.
In accordance with one aspect of the invention, a childproof cover for use with a compressed gas cylinder having a shut-off valve is provided. The valve has a longitudinal axis, a valve stem aligned with the axis and a radial outlet port. The cover comprises a housing attached to the cylinder and surrounding the valve. The housing has an open top end to provide access to the valve, and an opening in the side wall of the housing to provide access to the outlet port. The cover further includes a cap adapted to be secured to the housing for closing the open top end of the housing to block access to the valve. Means are provided for securing the cap to the open top end of the housing so that one of strength and ingenuity not normally expected of a child is required to remove the cap. Preferably, the housing is removably attached to the cylinder.
In accordance with one embodiment of the invention, the housing comprises two shells hinged along one side to permit the shells to be pivoted about the hinge between a closed position for surrounding the valve and an open position for removing the valve from the cylinder. The housing is preferably cylindrical or conical and includes a lock mechanism for detachably locking the shells in the closed position.
In accordance with a first embodiment of the invention, the housing has an inverted conical shape. The conical housing preferably includes two shells hinged along one side so that the shells may be pivoted about the hinge between a closed position for surrounding the valve and an open position for removing the housing from the cylinder. A cap is secured to a top end of the housing. The cap is designed to engage a top end of the housing so that removal of the cap requires a certain strength and/or ingenuity not normally expected of children.
In accordance with another embodiment of the invention, the housing is cylindrical and the cap threadedly engages the top end of the housing. The cap is childproofed in any one of several ways used, for example, to seal drug or poisonous fluid containers. In a preferred embodiment the cap includes an inner part having a top, a cylindrical side wall and threads on the interior of the side wall for engaging complementary threads around the open end of the housing, and an external part having a top wall and a cylindrical side wall. The external part is located and fitted loosely about the inner part and rotatable with respect to the inner part. Frictional engagement or ratchet segments are provided between the inner and outer parts of the cap so that the inner part rotates together with the outer part when the outer part is pressed downwardly. The cylindrical housing has a bottom wall with an opening therein to accommodate the valve while preventing the removal of the housing from the cylinder when the shells are in the closed position.
The childproof cover in accordance with the present invention can be fabricated from plastic material at low cost. The childproof cover efficiently safeguards the shut-off valve on a propane cylinder from manipulation by a child. Other features and advantages will be better understood with reference to the detailed description of the preferred embodiments of the invention.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4301828 (1981-11-01), Martin, Jr.
patent: 4352370 (1982-10-01), Childress
patent: 4501370 (1985-02-01), Kelley
patent: 4678003 (1987-07-01), Griffin
patent: 4854459 (1989-08-01), DeJonge
patent: 5152314 (1992-10-01), Yandle, III
patent: 5546977 (1996-08-01), Chaney
Kayden James W.
Lee Kevin
Thomas Kayden Horstemeyer & Risley
LandOfFree
Childproof cover for compressed gas valves does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Childproof cover for compressed gas valves, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Childproof cover for compressed gas valves will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-2453004